Recipe Sifter

Southern-style okra stewed with Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, bacon drippings, bell pepper, celery, and chili powder. A smoky, spicy side dish that freezes well.

Fat-free apple cake made with applesauce instead of butter or oil, loaded with diced Granny Smith apples, raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Freezer-friendly.

No-butter orange oatmeal cookies sweetened with banana, honey, and orange juice concentrate. Soft, fruity, and loaded with walnuts and golden raisins.

Baked orange roughy with stewed tomatoes, mushrooms, red bell pepper, and Italian herbs. A light, low-fat one-pan fish dinner with a thick vegetable sauce.

No-bake Oriental chews made with toasted chow mein noodles and coconut mixed into melted chocolate and butterscotch chips with slivered almonds. Crunchy, chewy, and sweet, these set on wax paper in minutes.

Deep-fried ginger shrimp in a light batter with garlic, chili sauce, and whipped egg white. Crispy, golden, and served with the tail on for easy dipping.

Orzo with vegetables, a one-pot Mediterranean pasta with zucchini, carrots, onion, and eggplant simmered in vegetable broth. A light, vegetarian weeknight dinner in 30 minutes.

Pan-grilled Thai tuna salad with seared yellowfin, napa cabbage, cucumber, and a lime-sambal dressing. A 20-minute high-protein dinner for two that drinks like a cold Thai noodle salad minus the noodles.

Fresh papaya salsa with red chili, mint, lime juice, and red bell pepper. A tropical, no-cook salsa with sweet heat. Pairs with grilled fish, tacos, and chips.

Pasta e fagioli (pasta fazool) with red kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, and vegetables simmered into a thick, hearty Italian soup. Vegetarian comfort food made from dried beans.

Mayo-free pasta salad with marinated artichoke hearts, alfalfa sprouts, black olives, and red wine vinegar. The artichoke marinade doubles as the dressing in this tangy, make-ahead side.

Hot water pie pastry using the whipped shortening method. Boiling water and milk create a smooth, easy-to-handle dough for a flaky two-crust pie without the fuss of traditional cold methods.

Pate Cregyn Gleision Mucai (Menai Pride Mussel Pate) Welsh recipe

Pears baked in honey with lemon juice, oven-poached until tender and served chilled with a reduced honey syrup. A refined British dessert with just four ingredients and elegant simplicity.

Bread-and-butter pickled zucchini turns a garden glut into 36 sweet-tart jars. Mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric build the classic bread-and-butter spice profile around sliced zucchini and onion.

Old-fashioned sweet pepper pickles brined overnight, then simmered in spiced sugar-vinegar syrup with cloves, cinnamon, mace, and ginger. A canning-jar staple from the heritage pantry.